The Good People

“Kent’s suspenseful storytelling plunges readers into early 19th-century Ireland. She brings vivid life to the hardscrabble scenes…Although ‘The Good People’ is fiction, it faithfully represents the hold of ancient Celtic myths on generations of Irish.”―Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Add Kent to the list of terrific Australian novelists writing today. While Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies) mines modern marriage and mores for her page-turning mysteries, Kent (Burial Rites) goes back in time to find reality-based stories of women who pay the price for challenging society’s expectations. The Good People has great characters, a setting that seeps into your bones and the always compelling tug between the spiritual and the superstitious.”―USA Today (starred review)

“If Stevie Wonder is correct, when you believe in things you don’t understand, then you suffer. Kent’s novel validates his indictment of superstition.”―Kirkus

“Kent skillfully depicts a world where anything outside the norm falls under suspicion, particularly women who are not under the protection of a man.”―Library Journal

Faith, folk-knowledge, and fear coalesce in remote 19th-century Ireland in this second novel from Kent…Though rife with description, backstory, and a surfeit of gossip, the book’s pervasive sense of foreboding and clear narrative arcs keep the tale immersive. Kent leads the reader on a rocky, disquieting journey to the misty crossroads of Irish folk beliefs past and future.―Publisher’s Weekly